Samsung Galaxy S6 v S6 Edge: which new Samsung smartphone has your name on it?

They’re big they’re shiny and one of them even has a curvy screen. You’re about to be given the choice of two top-end mobiles from Samsung: the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Which one’s right for you? We take a look…

Above: Official images of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (left) next to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Design: flat or curved?

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (Official Samsung image)

Looking for something different from your next mobile? It’s not a totally new idea (see the Galaxy Note Edge for example) – but at the very least the curve on each side of the Galaxy S6 Edge offers an alternative to the same-old flat display.

Screen Resolution – no need to compromise...

Both the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge boast a 5.1-inch quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 577ppi.

Size and weight – very little difference...

According to the official specs the Galaxy S6 weighs 138g and is 6.8mm thick. The S6 Edge is ever so slightly lighter (by 6 grams) and is 0.2 mm thicker.

Does a curved edge bring you any practical benefits?

Apart from looking cool don’t expect the curved edge to transform the way you use your phone. There have been a couple of nice little touches reported though – including the option of setting the edge to glow a specific colour when a particular person calls – and the fact that the edge shows alerts and the time even when your phone is in sleep mode.

Performance and specs: is there any difference?

The S6 and S6 Edge share the same essential features. Under the bonnet there’s Samsung’s all-new Exynos 64-bit processor offering the ability to run multiple applications at once with zero stutter.

The cameras are identical on each phone: a 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilisation and a 5MP front facing offering. Each is available in 32 64 and 128GB variants.

Battery: 

A removable power pack was one of the big draws of earlier versions of the ‘S’ series. This is now a thing of the past as a result of a closed metallic uni-body with a fixed battery. According to Samsung this new battery will give 12 hours of continuous Wi-Fi web browsing. Charging promises to be quick and painless too with Samsung claiming that a 10-minute charge translates to approximately 4 hours of use.  In theory the S6 Edge has the largest battery capacity of the pair (2600mAh as opposed to 2500mAh for the S6) – although the difference between the two is miniscule.

Price

The retail price for the  Samsung Galaxy S6 starts at around the £550 mark for the 32GB version and the  S6 Edge handset costs around £100 more.  Although this sounds a lot on a contract the price difference is not as noticable - you can expect a price difference of around £5 a month.

Are you tempted by the Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge? Whichever model you go for be sure to check out our awesome range of Samsung Galaxy S6 cases and S6 Edge cases to make sure your new Samsung mobile is kept safe from the minute you get your hands on it!